Hearts cannot exist without one another
by WittyShenanigans
Summary: A dragon with a heart as pure as his intentions. A girl with a short fuse. Draco finds himself in very unfamiliar territory. His one current, and most important, task; find a way home. Although, upon his return, he is faced with something he does not expect.
1. Dragons fly

I know, "What is she doing?". I just re-watched Dragonheart and, as this tends to go, had the most kick-ass dream about it. I'll hop to finishing my other fics later. But, um, please... try to enjoy. It's not that great and I'm on a 3 a.m. rush. Anyways, first time I've made such an angry bitch of a character. Just trying it out. Feedback is loved. Thank you.

Hearts cannot live if they do not beat.

Hearts cannot survive if they are alone.

Hearts cannot endure if they are wounded.

Hearts cannot continue if they are tired.

Hearts cannot exist without one another.

Surrounded. Not the best possible feeling in the world. Trapped like a rat. I believe I've made my point. Black boots crunched the fresh grass as the wearer took a small step backwards. There were things that people did in life that flooded them with regret shortly after. Today was not one of those days. Well, not for a certain young, brunette female who rarely ever regretted anything. At least, not out in the open. Frozen hands clenched tightly until the knuckles whitened at the knife points that threatened her very existence. Caution and timing were imperative to her survival. Who was she kidding? These people were idiots. Of all the reactions her attackers might have predicted, this might have been the most likely from the infamous devil.

"You think you can get away with this?" A thick finger pointed to a purplish red bruise forming nicely on a steroid pumped male's left temple. The receiver of the inquiry remained motionless. Four men, one girl. Do the genetics math. Brows knitting dangerously, the young woman who gave off the convincing impression of being the victim immediately lunged for the predator image. With a heavy shrug, exhale and one swift movement, she reached over, wrapped her palm around the back of an offender's head, and bashed it squarely into the surface of the tree just behind her. Key idea here was to utilize her surroundings. What possessed her to run into the nearby forest was beyond her and any thinking she could hope to accomplish now. Cool air brushed through the girl's russet hair as she moved forward, eyes feral and unforgiving. Leaves shifted underneath her sudden feet movement. Without warning, she surged forward from the cover of her calculative stillness, and with bone crunching force, delivered a powerful punch to the center of his face, slamming him away and to the ground with an ear splitting yell. Chaos ensued as the two with knives stepped forward. A growl slid past her lips as her body turned and ran deeper into the forest.

College. Not too different from high school, except the men are bigger and the second they learn you're a cold, heartless bitch... mercy is often not a viable option. Being twenty-two years old was great; the whole handling issues on your own and junk. One wrong move, for a woman especially, either resulted in rape or some form of degrading assault. Actually, to be perfectly honest, that was working out just fine with our little rabid animal here. Yes, our rabid little animal has a name. The girl currently speeding through a forest so fast that the trees meshed together in blurry green clumps was Alex.

Abruptly, the woman halted, pressing her back against a suitably sized tree. Breathing out slowly, Alex listened for the footsteps. And there they were, loud and clear with no fear of any repercussions. Driven by blind rage these men were. That would most definitely work to her advantage. The makings of an almost wicked smirk flickered across her features as she shot her arm out from behind the tree grasping onto the first man's wrist. Forcefully yanking him forward, a knee was driven straight into his gut. As for the final man, an elbow to the neck with 'x' amount of force and 'y' amount of surface area got him highly acquainted with the floor shortly after. "So inconvenient." A snarl, if anything. Light sounds of hands tapping against cloth sounded when Alex brushed her arms of any possible remnants of the stench of man. A dropped knife was picked up and examined closely.

"Impressive." A powerfully deep voice commented. If her assumption was correct, the accent was almost... Scottish? Instinctively, the girl pivoted, knife held out threateningly. What she found wasn't quite what one would expect upon a leisurely stroll through the forest. "I mean you no harm." Though he might not have meant to, the voice came out in a growl. A middle-aged man, about six feet and two inches, stood about ten feet away from her. He bared his teeth, wrinkling the skin around his mouth which was lightly coated over with a forming beard. These things were not what stole her attention completely. "I'm warning you girl. It is not wise to threaten a Dragon." Clothed in tattered garbs that vaguely resembled medieval attire, the man lowered himself defensively.

"Get to your freak convention and leave me alone." Alex's voice, no matter how hard she tried, tended to come out more abrasive than she wished. No matter. They really should've put an age limit on these dress up renaissance convention things. This guy was at an age where it got creepy.

"Are you... a warrior?" Genuine curiosity laced the fabric of his voice. "Something of a knight... yet you're a woman." Fist closed, the 'warrior' felt another act of violence coming on. "Impossible, and such odd attire..." Wishing she hadn't a second later, Alex glanced downwards. A gray short sleeve, black vest, shorts, and boots weren't out of the ordinary. "Intriguing almost. Nevertheless, I must find the stone." The arm holding the knife extended outwards angrily.

"Hey hey, that's enough." To her surprise, there was no concern at all evident in the male's eyes at all. "Listen, you creepy, creepy, Dragon wannabee-"

"What?" The dark-haired male shifted. Alex noted the slight grays streaked through his, once jet black, hair. "You dare call me a liar?" There was more hurt than anger in the raise in volume of voice. "Why, I never- I-" More flustered than the usual older-than-normal-nerd. The girl's jaw tightened, this guy wasn't going to give up, was he?

"Dragons fly." _Blam!_ With the bluntness of a baseball bat. Take that. A spark of determination in the man's eye caught Alex's full attention as he marched straight to his left. She had no time for this. Just how ridiculous did she intend for this scenario to become? A pile of homework was sitting at home just waiting her imminent return. It called to her, mocking her endlessly. Then what if her assaulters picked now to regain consciousness? Darkening clouds meandered across the sky, bathing in their last gulp of sunlight, ready to make room for night. Not to mention she actually had a job commitment tomorrow. "What a waste of my ti—what the?" Eyes widening, she rushed forward, praying that her eyes were deceiving her.

What the hell was he trying to do? The man she'd just met not more than ten minutes ago stood on the edge of a cliff. Crumbling factions broke off the edge and tumbled down below. If the fall didn't bring about his demise, the jagged rocks at the bottom would. Alex stopped short on the final grassy patch leading to the rocky edge. He watched intently as the sun crept it's way under the horizon – fierce eyes fixed o n the luminous display as beams of light cut their way across the pallid sky. "If I could only concentrate, this just might work." He wasn't going to do it. No way, in anyone's right, sane mind would they come up with a suicide scheme this... weird. Then again, she had been wrong before. A bitter wind gust of air blew across the male's chiseled features, forcing the course fabric of his cloak to snap and curl around his tall, fit figure. Suddenly, with a grunt, his arms flew outwards and his legs propelled his body forward.

Mouth agape, all the girl could do was stare as the man leaped forward, only to tumble straight down the stone infested hill. "You idiot!" The guy needed to be put in a freaking asylum, tucked away in a mountain somewhere. Alex glanced over the edge. Finding the man still rolling downwards—alive from the excessive amount of groaning and yelling out—she followed. Muttering to herself, the woman slid down the rock surface slowly, taking many more precautions than the man, who had finally ceased in his downward descent, before her. "You!" Unsympathetic to any injuries he might have obtained, a hand snatched the fabric closest to his neck. A couple hard shakes proved fruitless, "Are you trying to piss me off?" A ball of cloth still clutched tightly in her hand, Alex yanked him forward, "You listening to me?" She half yelled in his face. His eyes made a very feeble attempt to open, exposing a slit of white behind the eyelids. A fine trickle of blood snaked down the side of his head.

"The stone." At least, that was what it sounded the most like to Alex. From his accent, that sentence could have been anything between 'The sun' to 'The scone'. No, wait, he'd mentioned the stone before. Alex's vice grip tightened and twisted. A lack of response from him indicated that his consciousness had lost the battle. Two fingers pressed lightly against her temple in contemplation.

"Ugh, what am I doing?" Indeed the most appropriate question for exactly what happened next. Calling upon the strength in her arms, Alex hoisted the man up into a position where his upper body mostly leaned on her. Half of his body was still dragging along the floor, but the girl could still pull him away from here. Leaving him would be a one way ticket to freezing to death. And by the slim chance he did crawl away from the jaws of death, there would be a lawsuit involved one way or another.

What was she getting herself into?


	2. Prove it

**Hurpy freaking der. Even though no one wants to read my crappy junk, I still write it. Why? I dunno. Something to keep me occupied. One day, I'll get to the point where I get desperate and start asking for flames or how much people hate me. "Ugh, your face is so ugly." "OH THANK YOU SO MUCH."**

**For you nice people... or people who take pity on me oAo I swear a lot of things will be explained.**

**Lilac-lilly: Dude, you have no idea how happy your review made me when I got up for class all cranky and kind of regretting going out on a limb to write this. C: Thanks so much, first review! So happy.**

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><p><strong><span>Den of Thieves:<span> As a matter of fact, he's turning back into a dragon in the next chapter. Haha, jumping the gun here, I see. Thanks so much for reviewing.**

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><p><em>Hearts cannot live if they do not beat.<em>

_Hearts cannot survive if they are alone._

_Hearts cannot endure if they are wounded._

_Hearts cannot continue if they are tired._

_Hearts cannot exist without one another._

Not all apartment buildings were bad. Alex's room itself was excessively massive, admittedly, though not nearly as baroque as the more stereotypically prone may have expected it to be. There were no eerie portraits hung on the walls, no ancient tapestries, or hidden doorways. No sickeningly ornate furniture, ridiculously decorative rugs, or rusted chandeliers. No dead bodies or howling wolves outside, not even a flickering oil lamp to chase away the nonexistent darkness. Nope, just your standard apartment building with a living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and whatever else the architect could gleefully shove in there.

The girl paused briefly to take in her surroundings First, the wall of small, glass windows facing the east, and the sun rising slowly over the broken remains of the city. The day was upon them, and, there was admittedly something both comforting and unnerving about that. Next came the couch, or, more specifically the outline of the person still passed out beneath the blankets. A bit of irritation boiled in the back of her head at the sight. Why the bloody hell hadn't he woken up yet? Not more than twelve hours ago, she'd witness a man fly—excuse me—fall off a cliff and injure himself. It was a shock that the man was still alive, if not comatose. Now he was her responsibility, mostly because she deemed him insanely incapable of caring for himself. The covers then shifted downward, revealing a weary face underneath, "What? Where?" A controlled sigh escaped from behind her lips as she turned her dark eyes to the man still trying to piece events together.

"Get up." she'd never been one to bother with pleasantries, unless the situation absolutely required some level of couth. This one didn't."Get dressed..."She leaned over to the side, swiping some garments she'd found in the neighbor's donation box off of the cherry oak table, only to toss it straight at his face."Time to go." One word: dumbfounded. "Now." So much venom sank into her final word of warning.

"What happened to me?" Did he not hear a word she'd said? A scoff jumped from her throat,

"Oh? You don't remember?" A hand slammed down with a loud 'smack' against the couch arm, forcing the poor man to jump, "You tried to kill yourself by jumping off a cliff, but instead, ended up pathetically tumbling down like a bowling ball." His expression didn't give off anything to indicate that this was sinking in. A long silence ensued between the two.

"Might I ask." Fume might as well have rolled off Alex's entire body, "What is this 'bowling ball' you speak of?" Her hand slammed into his chest again, pushing him back against the couch cushion, "You impudent girl!"

"First, stop talking like that, you just sound ridiculous." A protest was shot down by a simple glare, "Save it." Another harsh cut-off as her hand fastened again, yanking him from her couch and to the floor. "Now get out." Once again, an unexpected turn of events. The body Alex had just thrown to the floor remained motionless for some time. A soft groan eased its way from the man. "Hey, stand up." Her commanding voice never faltering, "I didn't throw you that hard," The girl stepped to the side of her dingy carpet, eyes focused on him.

"No, I don't believe its that." One arm kept his face from smashing into the light blue carpet, while the other was wrapped around his stomach. "Hold on. Did you... carry me here?" As doubtful as the words were, he still received a nod. "Then, I suppose I'm in your debt." Alex rolled her eyes understandably. "You have my thanks." An awkward pause, "This might not be the most fitting moment for introductions, but, you may call me Draco." The only reply he received was a firm grasp around his upper arm and a toss right back where he started on the couch. He landed with a slightly less than audible 'oof'. Without another word, Alex had disappeared to another section of the room. "How rude." A comment meant for no one but himself.

Draco took this valued time to recover from the haziness in his brain. His eyes shifted to the reflective surface of the window. There was something wrong. No, everything was off-putting; his surroundings, his newly given appearance, and the mindset on finding a stone he wasn't even positive existed. The dragon rubbed the spot on his arm where the woman had grabbed with the strength of a monster earlier. Slowly, he ran two fingers over the side of his head. A cloth-like material grazed his fingers. He gasped quietly upon hitting a tender spot which sent painful jolts spinning about his entire head. A sharp knife was jabbed into his side again, forcing his facial features to twist in sheer discomfort. "And what of her?" Talking to yourself was never a good sign, even after spending so many years alone. Memories plagued his mind like a disease. The most vivid of the paintings being his very own death. "Hold on." Heaven, yes. His expectation clearly was not what he'd ended up with. Head throbs intensified as he delved deeper and deeper into the subject. An ocean of reasoning and pondering had pulled him in so far, Draco hadn't noticed the girl's return.

"Here, eat." Her voice was lower... defeated in some way. Draco couldn't quite pinpoint it. She'd shoved into his hands a white bowl containing a substance of mushy texture. Confusion crept across his eyes at steam wafting from the bright yellow arches squished together in the bowl. He ran a finger across the intricate outline of the metallic spoon. A foreign object to see or feel to the dragon. "Do I have to force feed you?" Why did her voice practically just reach for his soul and rip it right out?

"Exactly what... is this?" Their eye contact lasted only briefly and ended with a spoonful of the mystery food entering Draco's mouth. Contact with his tongue was all it took for the flavor to explode. His eyes widened a fraction in astonishment, "My, this is delicious." It was Alex's turn to raise her eyebrows at the way the spoon was being handled. A variety of other things were muttered after that. None of them were understood, of course, due to the shovel-fulls of food in his mouth. "Mrrfis." Alex was close to bringing her face to her palm or her palm to her face. Either one.

"Mac N' Cheese." Long, thready, strings of cheese clung to the spoon as it moved from the bowl to his mouth. A momentary halt in his devouring of the meal.

"Macken-"

"Don't... please." Well, hey, she said please. "Mm, Alex." Draco rested his eyes on her and gave a small nod.

"A pleasure." A flinch suddenly froze his body still as if a realization had hit him in the head. Alex prayed he wasn't lactose intolerant and just... forgot. Draco drew in a large breath, straightening up his entire body. What was he trying to accomplish by sucking all of the oxygen out of the room? The man could've easily put a puffer fish to shame. A large combination of spit and air flew out of his mouth and nose at the bowl in which he was aiming. Alex's jaw dropped in total amazement at the feat, "Hm, odd, that should have worked."

"Did you just spit all over your food?" Unable to hold back a chuckle or two, "Tell me you don't believe you're still a dragon." A dragon would've been able to produce fire.

"I am most certainly a dragon." Without delay, the words came through firm and strong.

"You are unfathomable."

"No it's true."

"Prove it." Draco opened his mouth, but Alex cut him off with a quick wave of her hand, "If you jump off another cliff, I will break your nose." A small laugh lightened the dragon's features.

"Duly noted." The fact that he was so unfazed by anything she said really just turned up the heat to boiling point. "Did you know, anger is the quickest way to warrant your downfall?" Alex snapped her head to pierce him with her eyes.

"Did you know that if you put your ear to someone's leg, you can hear them say 'what the hell are you doing?'?" Bitterly, she held his gaze.

"I hardly see how that's relevant" An odd one this was. "Do you believe in fate, Alex?" The name was tested on his tongue, a way of getting used to it. "I believe fate led you to me in the forest. To assist me." There went her macaroni and cheese supply for the week.

"Excellent, men with knives equals fate." She studied his face for a few fleeting moments. Now that she could see, a few light scars littered the surface of his cheek, " To help you do what?" Murder someone, bury a body, sell drugs—better yet—trade humans. Take your pick.

"You are very aware of that answer." Don't smash the macaroni into his face. Don't smash the macaroni into his face. "I must return home, find answers as to how this bizarre event came about." A rumbling deep in Alex's throat intensified. "Was I sleeping? That very well might be a possibility. The stars were visible, so this must not be Heaven. Unless..." He should've been thankful that there was a spoon grasped in his hand instead of a fork.

"One, two, three-"

"Pardon? I-"

"Draco. It is very important that I get to ten." A stream of air shot up her nose to provide her brain with some oxygen. "Say I believe you, do you have any other dragon friends flying around who could vouch for you?" Preferably not some other nutcase off the street. An almost unnoticeable slump caused Draco's body to sink a bit deeper into the couch cushions. Alex had never been one to read emotions, but his appeared... well, sad.

"No. I am the last. And if I am truly dead." His voice trailed as the girl's eye twitched again.

"You are making it so difficult to play along, much less believe you." All his cryptic junk was starting to work her last nerve, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shove you in the nearest mental hospital." The dark tone was reemerging in her word patterns again.

"If you had desired to do such a task, you'd have already done so. Am I right, Alex?"Knowingly, he turned his head to look at her. Damn, he'd been right.

"Why are you so eager to let me know you're a dragon?" A good question, but it didn't deter from the fact that she was just vying for a change of subject, "Aren't you scared of my vast collection of pitchforks and whatnot?" He gave her a funny look in regards to the second question. Although, that didn't wipe the reality in her query. It was not wise to openly admit who he was... to a stranger, no less. Especially a violent one as this. Perhaps getting her to believe him was not the best idea. Stubborn is as stubborn will always be.

"I was simply defending myself. You called me a liar." A small clinking noise as the spoon was put in the empty bowl, "Now will you help me locate this stone or not?" Stunned, Alex suddenly neglected to breathe. Draco was serious. Never had she heard such sincerity and power in anyone's voice before.

"Back it up, what is this stone? Why is it important? Why do you need it?" Neither budged from their position.

"I... don't know." So firm, as if he were too proud to admit being lost. No difference from the audacity he dared to constantly display in her presence. What was that she felt clawing at the back of her head. Sympathy? "I know it in my heart that it is the first step to some answers." Amazing actor. No, seriously, the guy should be nominated for some award, "I'm probably a great deal more lost than you are at this point." Light hair fell over Alex's mirror-like eyes as she leaned forward just barely, biting her bottom lip.

"What else?" tried the girl.

"Only a dragon can activate the stone and I do know it's hidden in that particular forest." A brief pause for thought, "You seem to know the forest, which is why I need your help."

"How do you know this?" Another strained silence as if she'd caught him at something.

"I'm not entirely sure." The last drop of patience was slowly sliding out of the jar.

"Lots of loopholes in your story here." And yet, she had to utter it "Are you telling the truth?"

"I swear on my honor." Eyes, face, nose, and mouth scrunching together in the most discomforting way possible in thought, Alex weighed a couple options. All the while, she reluctantly viewed him out of the corner of her squinted eye. His lightly colored, questioning, eyes burned into her very skull.

"Fine!" Utterly discomfited, the word just seemed to blurt itself out, "I'll help you find your stupid rock." Throw a couple at his head for good measure too. "Let's make something clear." Alex positioned her face inches away from his, "I detect any bullshit from you, I'll personally make sure that you're unable to use your legs again."

This could only end in tears.

**Thanks for reading! Or making a very believable attempt to!**


	3. I told you so

**You Anonymous people make it very difficult for me to implement my stalking abilities. :C**

And yes, for those of you who asked, HE DOES TURN BACK INTO A DRAGON. TROLOLOL

Lilac-Lilly: Aww, thanks again for the encouragement. Makes me feel a bit better and adds to the motivation! But, well, I'm always hard on myself. I also appreciate the concept of tough love too. Ahaha. Oh Alex. I'm actually waiting for a chance to shove her in a corner and let her sit there (I swear it'll happen after the next chapter), because the story is seriously not about her. And I'm sick of people fawning all over their precious OC characters. Last couple chapters makes WittyShenanigans A HYPOCRITE. No, srsly, I'll throw her in the background after the story gets rolling. o3o

Reader: Oh hey der. Thanks for reviewing! Ah yes, finally, some improvement comments. For some reason I thought it was going at a painfully slow pace. Seriously, it's nowhere near the main storyline I had in mind yet. But THANKS, I shall keep this in mind!

Den of thieves: YAYAYYAYAY. -rolls around- Yeah, I kinda made her mean on purpose. Seriously, if I see another 'clumsy' 'naïve/innocent' 'pacifist' 'random XD' 'desu-bunny' hopping around, I'm going to tear my eyes out with my horribly painted nails. Oh! My friend actually came up with that poem for something we were supposed to do together, but didn't oAo IT WAS RELATED TO DRAGONHEART LAKJFLASJFD;. But, I digress. Thanks for reviewing!

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_Hearts cannot live if they do not beat._

_Hearts cannot survive if they are alone._

_Hearts cannot endure if they are wounded._

_Hearts cannot continue if they are tired._

_Hearts cannot exist without one another._

Two weeks. Two godforsaken weeks of running around in a forest with a confirmed lunatic who believed he was a dragon. Though, admittedly, aside from the occasional word of wisdom he found imperative to shoot at her every now and then, Alex had come to grow accustomed to his company. One night she'd put him outside only to find him pathetically curled up on the ground, _peacefully_ asleep. Over the years, Alex had come to accept a simple, disheartening truth. Closing her stark eyes, the woman drew in a slow breath and pushed off the front door to her apartment, tilting her head back to run her fingers through her thick hair. That, the black hole of dissatisfaction, raging in the back of her skull day in and day out, would be there forever. _That_ was her life. And moments like this. Moments where she stood outside of her apartment room after a long day of work, blessed with a blissful silence were all she could take pleasure in. A pale hand rested gingerly on the cold doorknob before twisting it and stepping in.

"I swear if there's one thing out of place I—what are you doing?"

With Draco roaming around alone in the house during her absences, Alex had a certain amount of right to be irked. The sight that greeted her was a new one. In all his old-world elegance, Draco stood in the very corner of room. His bright eyes narrowed fiercely at an object within the vicinity. The woman angled her head; he didn't look all too bad in a blazer. "Alex! Quick! Hide!" Arms crossing over her chest in amusement, Alex took a bit of pleasure out of his mild conniption.

"And what is it I'm hiding from?" With a quick jerk of his head, he indicated to what was sitting complacently on a table minding its own business.

"That demonic trinket has been beckoning to me all day. It must be some sort of trap." Could too much eye rolling pop a person's eyes out?

"Draco." Stepping over to the object, Alex picked it up and jabbed it against his chest. "This is a phone." Eyes wide with horror, the man didn't move, "People I know can call me and I can call them back." This guy was really milking the whole dragon bit. Not too long ago, Draco had taken the liberty of telling her his entire life story. And according to him, dragons live for quite a long time, so that story was still not totally finished. "I can smash this thing into a thousand pieces."

"That is because you are a frightening woman." Still motionless, only his lips moved.

"Good, you're catching on." A loud slam rang out as the phone was tossed back to its original position on the receiver. "You realize I still don't believe this act you're selling, right?" Way to sock it to him. Let him know that she was just humoring him for some time.

"It no longer matters to me whether you believe in our existence or not. Accept as the truth what you will." He was holding something in his hands that Alex had not seen before. It appeared to be a book? "Quite honestly, I do not wish to spark your often pointless anger any further." Ouch, that hurt more than it should have.

"Considerate of you, really." The biting tone didn't dissipate. "We going rock hunting today or not?" Best to switch from such a touchy subject to one that would push him out of her life faster. Draco cleared his throat and closed the distance between them, holding the book out to her similar to a child eager for a bedtime story.

"The answer. It is revealed upon deciphering these scriptures." Hastily, the book was opened, thick pages flying in a flutter. "Look here! That right there." Un-amused, Alex followed where he was pointing.

"Your scripture is a children's book." Literally, it was. And she had tucked it away for safe keeping. How did he find it? "Tell me the mighty Dragon can read." Sputtering in complete disbelief, Draco scoffed, clearly insulted by her remark.

"Understand this. I am fluent in many different tongues and can speak languages neither you nor any of your ancestors have heard or ever will hear!" Oh, she'd really gotten him going on a tangent.

"Can you read this or not?" Displaying as much fierceness he had a moment ago, she returned the blow.

"I might have, er, forgotten? Slightly?" Brows furrowing yet again, Alex snatched the book from his hands.

"You useless waste of space, just tell me."

"Do you take great joy in verbally abusing others?"  
>"Oh gee, how'd you figure that out?"<p>

Through the splattered water colors and smudged paint, Alex could make out the abstract goal of a cave and a horribly bent tree. She took the time to flip through the rest of the book, finding a compilation of children's stories she'd once loved as a child. "I know where this is." Just like that, the two left once again for another lovely adventure in the forest.

There was something calming about the wilderness, something that was almost always welcoming, soothing. Even in the relatively short time she'd spent there, nearly every trace of unease she'd felt throughout the day had dwindled away. A cool, gentle breeze swept through trees as they ebbed forward, silently, for the most part, making their way across the foliage laden ground. The scent was strong, fresh. After some time, Alex had lost count of how many times she'd longed for a bit of silence and openly stated it... loudly. As well as the amount of times Draco failed to take heed.

"Why are you so intent on getting back, hm?" She interrupted him suddenly. Alex navigated past a fallen log, waiting for a response from the man following behind her. "Come on, what is it? Family? Friends? Some other nonsense like that." A twig snapped behind her from Draco stepping on it.

"Nonsense you say?" A thoughtful pause followed. "As I said, I am the last of my kind." Sharply, the girl paused to cast a brief glance up at the bright sky. There, hung in the sky, beyond the tangled branches of the forest canopy, a mere sliver of blinding orange, shining its way past the trees. "What of your family?" Blinking out the sun drops, the young girl opened her mouth to voice a reply. "Ughn!" Alex swiveled around at the sound of a body thudding against the ground. She found exactly what she'd expected; a man sitting amongst the forest debris."I forget, humans are quite fragile." Staggering slightly, he stood up.

"No, it's just you actually." Deeper and deeper they traversed into the forest. Each step posing an even further problem of how to return home. "They left." She replied finally to his inquiry of her relatives. "Good for them, I'd say." A clump of dry grass was vehemently kicked aside by a black boot.

"Perhaps if you weren't such a sour individual, others would enjoy your company more." Direct hit to the face. Alex stiffened, but before Draco could take any notice, she continued onward.

"That doesn't explain why you're still here." hissed the girl in retaliation. "How about you go find the next family-friendly-innocent-naive-too-stupid-to-live bimbo dancing around in the rain on the street. And before you try to ask me what a 'bimbo' is, I'd think twice." She snapped, sparing him an irritated glimpse before letting her focus settle back on the road. Oh how much he wanted that question to shoot out of his mouth. Alex huffed; he didn't know her and he was in no position to pass judgment on her... as true as it might be. Emotion was a luxury she couldn't afford.

A few more minutes passed by until they came to an abundance of oddly misshapen trees blown too harshly by the wind or whatever weather suitable. From the ground rose a cavernous structure that appeared to lead underground. "There." Alex barked, motioning to the opening of the cave. How she knew of this location wasn't too big of a puzzle. As a child, that cave was her 'labyrinth of evil', 'fortress of Olinheidm', and place of refuge all at once. As hard as the idea might have been to swallow, Alex was once a happy child with an imagination that knew no bounds. The two stopped and stared into the descending fashion of the cave entrance.

Firm and loose stones littered the entire interior of the cave floor. As they looked further on, the levels descended into nothing but deep, empty darkness. Draco's movements suddenly slowed into ones of apprehension. "Move." Sneered a familiar voice, as the owner of it roughly pushed past him and vanished into the darkness.

"Careful!" He called out as he followed her. Impaling oneself on one of the more jagged rocks was always a possibility. Alex was not necessarily a 'graceful' person, but she knew her goal and had an undying determination to accomplish it. Current goal: get to the bottom of these rocks. Current method: run down there as fast as permissible with as few scrapes and bruises to her body.

"Here you want a stone? Take your pick." Stumbling past the last few obstacles in her way, Alex came to a giant empty cave room. The walls rose and met above her ominously illuminated by one sole source of light from the world outside.

"I can feel it." About twenty paces behind her, Draco shifted a few rocks on his journey to where Alex was. The girl had crossed her arms and had commenced her strange counting routine again. He wasn't going to try to understand the inner workings of the woman's mind. But make no mistake, an unknown force was truly calling to him from somewhere in the depths of this cave. All he could do was move in the direction of the source. The feeling burned intensely within his very core, spreading all the way to his fingertips in anticipation. Suddenly, all the vulnerability he'd felt before vanished and was promptly replaced with a growing sensation that vaguely resembled power. They were, without a doubt, searching in the correct area. "Yes." Reassuring himself as he worked his way around some more stones. How had Alex charged down so fast... and with minimal damage to her person?

If Draco had led her to this sinisterly dark cave away from all civilization and contact to kill her, he had chosen the wrong girl. Had he not seen her display when they'd first met? Or how she'd used him as basically a punching bag ever since their first meeting? An awkward twinge darted across her chest. She didn't want to admit it, but for some time there, she actually might have, kind of, sort of... trusted him. "Careless mistake." chided the girl harshly at her own dumb self. She did have to hand it to him for his performance though; pitiful entrance, naive nature, then harmlessly pointing to a cave in a children's book. Sneaky bastard.

"Are you alright?" Annoyed by the genuine concern, Alex turned. If a single glance had the ability to assassinate another, Draco would've been twitching on the ground coughing copious amounts of blood. For the tenth time today, Alex about faced and slammed past the man's shoulders. As quickly as she'd scrambled in, the girl clambered out, uncaring of how ridiculous she might have come off as. Warm yellow light greeted her at the exit of the cave. Clearly disappointed with herself, she ran a hand through her brown hair that fell all the way down to her mid-back. The bangs bounced back past her fingers to cover her right eye. Lower than it had been in the sky before, the sun was beginning its slow descent behind the horizon. A form fitting black jacket hugged her body, warm against the skin. That should have sufficed as a source of temporary comfort on the way home.

A sudden gasp was ripped away from the girl's mouth as an unpredicted shudder rocked her steady foothold. Brow creasing even further as the shaking grew hard enough to lurch her entire body forward, Alex threw her arms out for extra balance. Obvious agitation revealed itself even further as the violent act of mother nature failed to cease, but instead, worsened. Of all the inconvenient occurrences that insistently wedged their way into her day. "Ugh!" Vision impaired from the unsteadiness of her surroundings, Alex dropped to the ground, her knees making painful impact. Thunderous rumbling murdered her eardrums beyond repair. Brain matter bounced around, making way for an impending headache that would take all too long to recover from. "Draco." Stupidly standing in a cave as a prime target for rocks to roll down and crush him. In a drunken sprint, the girl zig-zagged forward, her body waving at the command of the quake. Thoroughly amazed at herself for not face-planting somewhere, she pressed on.

Before Alex was able to pass the third obstruction, a blinding light surged past her eye lids, searing straight into her skull. Even the desperate raising of her arm to shield her face did not prevent the light from penetrating past her defenses. Her jaw dropped a little, and the already raging tide of anger brewing in her chest suddenly swelled into a full on tempest. The light responded by exploding against her an unfathomable force. Flying backwards, defiance still coated her features. Her teeth clenched to keep from emitting any moans or groans. Alex remained on the floor with her head spinning long after the rumbling had stopped. Blissfully, her eyes closed to call upon what ounce of willpower she had in her being to dismiss the headache. Something approached in a rather ungainly manner. Whatever that something was... it was enormous.

Her eyes widened in a display of befuddlement. A striking shade of molten gold eyes peered down at her own lifeless ones. Alex's hands dug into the grass beneath her as if, in some way, that would awaken her from the delusion she was experiencing. Sets of ivory white horns sprouted from a rough, scaly head, stained from the long, decidedly unkind, years. The front of its neck and legs were covered in scales that were vaguely reminiscent of high quality armor, painted a golden gradient by the effect of the sun. A blackened ash-like hue was smeared in clever areas over the base color of worn down auburn and deeply defined scales. Ebony claws rested themselves ironically gently against the forest floor. A look of instant gratification evident in his razor sharp smile at the girl's uncontainable bewilderment. "Well hello there." The towering creature lowered its face closer to hers, "This is the part where I relish in the satisfaction of saying, 'I told you so'... but I feel that just isn't quite enough." A very familiar matter-of-fact tone of speaking emerged from his deep, accented voice.

A bullet to the head? Yes please.

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Yes, longer than I anticipated. Thanks for reading!  
><strong>I OWN NOTHING, except Alex.<strong>


	4. A Bard's tale

**Look at me, I just don't know when to quit, do I? Jaykay, the nice mail some people have sent me and the subscribers help out. Uh, so, here it is. Some more things are explained. And I finally get to toss in Geoff and Drake {/dances}**

**Den of Thieves: Thanks for reviewing! Uh, haha, yeah I try hard not to go out of character for anyone . I might... a little, but I'll probably draw the line at dressing Geoff up and having him do the meringue. If I am, let me know. Seriously.**

**That goes for err'body, feel free to slap me in the face. I'm pretty understanding (I might cry a bit) and I won't be a butthurt about it. C:**

**Oh and, Ashley, if you're reading this, DON'T READ ANY FURTHER.**

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

_Hearts cannot live if they do not beat._

_Hearts cannot survive if they are alone._

_Hearts cannot endure if they are wounded._

_Hearts cannot continue if they are tired._

_Hearts cannot exist without one another._

Fierce amber eyes fixed on hazy sunset as shades of red, purple, orange, pink and yellow spread across the darkening sky. His goal had been reached, so then why was there so much confusion infested within his heart? Draco allowed a low growl to vibrate in his throat as he took the wondrous chance to stretch out his leathery, black spotted wings. His golden armor scales glittered in the dancing splashes of sun. They glistened and gleamed as they were stretched to their full extent. The dragon folded his majestic wings back and shook his enormous horned head, catching a glimpse at the young girl studying him with crossed arms. To that he raised one of the elevated ridges above his eye; an action that might have counted as raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Speechless are we?" Notice the jugs of smugness poured into just those three words. Draco knew straight away that the girl hated being proved wrong, especially in such an elaborate manner as this. "Surely you won't resort to any churlish actions that would warrant your inevitable loss of this argument." A deep toned chuckle stung against Alex's ears who, right now, was more paralyzed by fury and rage than by fear and utter horror at the defiance of most logical scientific theories. And yet, nonchalantly, the dragon smacked his lips hungrily, "Ah yes, now what is there to eat. Sustenance, sustenance." Now he was just acting like a mother wandering about the kitchen wondering what to whip up for supper. Alex stared, utterly mortified at the size of the creature before her. And now she was a believer.

"What do you want me to do, use that stick over there to skewer myself?" And there re-surfaced the caustic melody forever stitched into the woman's voice.

"Ugh, revolting." His lip curled up in vile disgust, exposing his sharp, closely packed, dagger teeth. "Did you not listen to a thing I said? Dragons do not eat humans." Stern features twisting even further, he continued, "And don't flatter yourself." That earned him her attention for sure, "Who could stomach you? Your skin is probably too tough, then your dryness would burn my throat." He rested his coal black claws upon his long, armor scaled, neck for a visual reference.

"Awfully bold now that you're a giant dragon, huh?" How she longed for him to revert back to a human so she could beat him senseless. "So what is it you do eat? Hm?" Impatiently glaring at him for an answer, Alex saw a passive curiosity come over him.

"Where could I find more of that Mackenchess?" Draco lowered himself to rest his belly on the ground, one forelimb crossing over the other as he stretched his neck over towards her, ever so slightly.

"Excuse me, what?"

"Those glorious yellow arches." Pulling back his neck to stretch at full height, he waited or an answer, as if his description would bring forth an immediate answer.

"Mac N Cheese." Her tone flat, she replied. Not only had he devoured her entire supply of macaroni for the month, he was demanding more.

"Ah, yes, that's it." The sun was so gone behind the hills by the time Alex was able to drill the reason as to why revealing himself to other humans was a very bad idea. Even when she could have sworn she'd wrung out every last drop of explaining to do, "Preposterous, we dragons used to be guardians to you humans." Even if not, his most recent actions should have changed human views on dragons. Einon was gone, the kingdom was safe, Bowen and Kara were more than likely the ones to look to. Draco took another moment to survey his surroundings. Then again, this was not the homeland he'd become familiar with during his lifetime. The foreign air of this land forced him to unwillingly latch onto the short-tempered female in such a strange way.

"Used to, dragon! Key words here: used to!" The last thing she need was for him to prance right into the center of such a busy city. Tanks, planes, bombs, other weapons of mass destruction pulled out of a hat.

"Spare me, not this 'dragon' business again." A low, menacing growl embedded itself underneath his words. "You are just like him." The moment those words came out of his mouth, they were instantly regretted. How could he compare his dear friend to... this. Bowen was a deeply kind man, who'd striven to protect the Old Code and uphold its values. He'd fought valiantly for what he believed in and, as many times as Draco had begged him to, refused to sacrifice his friend. Yes, that's right, the knight was his friend. A ball of sorrow welled up deep within his chest, pushing against him to bursting point. Would they be there upon his return? Time was working against him.

"Who? The last guy you pissed the hell out of? I don't blame him for acting that way after being around such an giant uptight lizard." Alex said, startling Draco into opening and closing his mouth in wordless protest. In frustration and sheer wrath, the creature bellowed a sound unnatural to human ears. On his hind limbs, he lunged at her, landing a few feet away, his body crouched in a predator stance. From his nostrils shot out a jet of hot steam.

"I misspoke. You are nothing but a cruel child vying for attention." He turned abruptly, his armored tail sliding against the dirt floor, He was unwilling to spend another hour arguing with the girl, especially on a baseless idea he wasn't ready to concede to yet. "He, on the other hand." His voice significantly softened "Was willing to believe in the impossible; goodness, change, friendship." A sudden memory of Bowen standing next to Kara flashed across his brain. "Love." Softly chuckling, he lowered himself to the ground again, his back to Alex. Tomorrow was a new day. Meaning another chance to uncover much needed answers to his predicament.

"Love." She spat out the word like a bad piece of meat. "Real love is only found in stories." Really, she had to stop trying to kick people when they were down. His back was to her, showing the deadly pattern on his back; spikes that could very well slice her in two, spaced themselves all the way down to his tail. "In old folklore, hundreds of years ago, there's a story of a husband and wife who shared with each other a love deeper than the depths of the ocean itself." Crap, what was she doing? Giving in, that's what. "Day by day, they were always seen together and described as 'inseparable'." No movement or reaction came from the dragon, prompting Alex to bite her lip. "Their land was torn by war and both were destined to face the inevitable head on. The husband was sent away to battle, leaving behind his wife and unborn child with the typical empty promise of 'I'll come back'." Still no response, but Alex knew the dragon had to be listening. "Though the man suffered grievous wounds and unexplainable hardships, his will to live kept death at bay." The stillness in the air was...awkward, to say the least, "Upon his long-awaited return, he was greeted with a shower of kisses from his beloved and his newborn son." A miniscule step was taken in the backwards direction, "Life went on as usual, their days filled with nothing but bliss and their nights fueled by passion... until..." Dejected, defeated, and somewhat humiliated, the girl resorted to quitting while she was ahead. No, not technically 'ahead', more like buried neck deep in quick sand.

"Until what?" Impatience swirled in nicely with peculiarity. His head lifted and turned to her just as her decision to simply leave was settling in. "Well?" Biting the insides of her cheek, the human cleared her throat.

"Until the husband began noticing some strange things." Draco's brows knitted together, pushing deep the lines running along his face, "Ever since he'd come back, not a single one of his friends had stopped at his house or greeted him on the streets. In fact, many of them regarded him in, almost, terror whenever he went into town for business." Her arms crossed again, "One day, a handful of his most loyal friends pulled him aside in secret and revealed to him the truth that his wife died in childbirth while he was away fighting." The dragon's mouth opened, then shut. "Shocked and insulted that his friends would play such a trick on him, he attacked them. Disbelieving of such an absurd story, the husband brought it up with his wife later that very night." A short pause for a continuing breath, "Everyone her husband named met a very grisly end that night. Everyone that she deemed stood between her and her family felt the wrath and anger of the wife's vengeful ghost. Blood painted the small wooden houses of the town." This was becoming the long route for a simple 'I'm sorry'.

"Unnerving." Draco shifted into a position he identified as more comfortable.

"Fear blanketed the town as more and more people desperately wanted to tell the husband about his already deceased wife, but ultimately deterred by the repercussions. Those bold enough to speak were murdered shortly after." Eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar, Draco brought up perfect mental images of her story. "Their love—." FLASH.

A fluorescent white light, brighter than the last, engulfed the dragon and human in its blinding splendor. Both completely caught unaware, simultaneously cried out. Penetrating past the thin film of their eyes, the light wrapped itself around their brains, ripping away their consciousness.

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A dying orange ember glow speckled the burned wood as the smoke from the one strong fire began to wane. Three good stomps from a well-bound boot ensured that no stray flame skittered from the pile to the grass. The wind played at a particular individual's dark blonde hair with its fingertips, prompting it to be pulled back and secured with a string. A few sandy curls escaped their confinement to pester his forehead nevertheless. Inhaling deeply, Geoff felt the morning fog slowly flow into his expanding lungs. Gentle rustling from behind him took his attention. "Careful back there. I don't want anyone around here seeing you." His words were responded to with a small grumble of protest.

"It smells funny in here, I don't like it." Louder rustling this time, "I really don't how this is..." A branch snapped, "Ow. Necessary." From the opening between the trees, a Dragon's head emerged. Curious eyes peered forth. His once blunt horns had grown out into sharper points along the crown of his head. His dark-emerald and faded beige-lined armor scales blended in nicely with the surrounding forest.

"You know why." Almost fifteen years had passed since he'd first met his human brother. And how he hated seeing him like this. Geoff had always had an uncanny ability to make light of whatever dark situation they were pitted against. The two had left the abbey some time ago to fulfill both of their desires of exploring the realm. Their return had been greeted by something most unexpected. Hatred had spread it's black tendrils through the heart of the city years ago, crushed it, mutated it, and they hadn't budged since. The hatred had stemmed from the new appointed monarch who had hidden her intention for so many years before. With the king in a death-like sleep, the woman held all power with her, not one, but two Dragons. Another sigh ejected itself from the man's lips. Not only did they seek to oppress humans, but all remaining Dragons possibly in hiding. And here he believed Drake was the last. Then again, they also believed Draco to be the last. On countless accounts each claim had been proved wrong.

"Geoff? Geoff? You're not listening to me." Azure eyes blinked rapidly to dismiss his thoughts. He wasn't even aware that Drake had been speaking to him.

"Oh, sorry about that. I was, uh, thinking about something. And I probably shouldn't have had that fish last night." Geoff successfully accompanied his words with a small laugh to mask any unnecessary alarm. "Anyways, we should just keep heading North. Get as far from this place as possible." It wouldn't do them any good—not long-term at least, but for now it would have to do.

"Well, um, what are we supposed to do about him?" Geoff pivoted to see the man he'd tied up earlier.

"Right." Sourly, he advanced, "What should we do with you? Dragonslayer." As he'd so aptly dubbed himself. "Toss him under the frozen river? Hang him by his toes?" Mercy didn't sound appealing when someone had just made an attempt on you brother's life. "See if he can fly?" The prisoner, who's ability to speak was hindered by the cloth in his mouth, widened his eyes in shock.

"Geoff." the Dragon called softly, but firmly. The man held his arms out, then dropped them back down by his side.

"I was joking." For the most part anyway. His comrade's attention seemed to be directed elsewhere though. "Drake." Brushing the dust from his darker colored tunic, he observed the creature's eyes.

"Are there.. stars during the day time?" The knight was about to open his mouth, but decided to take a good gander at the sky first. Sure enough, there was a bright sparkle in the bright blue sea above their heads. Geoff scratched his lightly forming beard at the puzzlement. He wasn't sure how to give an answer to the ever-inquisitive Drake. Even the bound man had directed his attention skyward. Each of them had eyes of their own, giving no need for explanation. "Is it getting... bigger?" No doubt about it, the glow in the sky rivaled that of the sun. On top of that, it was getting closer. Geoff covered his eyes. Drake followed suit. The dragonslayer could only shut his eyes and turn away. Geoff squinted his eyes open for future reference.

"I'm going to go see what that was." As he assumed, Drake let out many statements of protest about his going alone, "Stay here Drake."

"You're leaving me here?" he questioned, "With the Dragonslayer?" Lowering his head at the human as a gesture to question his logic, the Dragon frowned.

"For just a second alright? I'll be back." What could possibly go wrong in ten minutes? Best not to question that. Fate always had a way of biting him in the butt.

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**I own nothing, except Alex... and probably that non-named dragonslayer.**

**Thanks for reading C:**


	5. Across time

**Such a long wait, for not the greatest work I have oAo**

**keacdragon: D'aww. Thank you for reviewing! You know, I wasn't even sure where it was going. This is why I shouldn't be left alone at 3 in the morning with a laptop, coffee, and a movie playing. Thanks again!**

**Den of Thieves: Hurrr, I actually yoinked that story from a story my mother used to scare me as a child. Or well... I don't know, scare me into fidelity? LOL YES, AN ADVENTURE. Something of that nature, with plenty of domestic violence, as my friend likes to call it. Thanks for reading!**

**Maybe I should get over my irrational fear of proofreading...**

* * *

><p><em>Hearts cannot live if they do not beat.<em>

_Hearts cannot survive if they are alone._

_Hearts cannot endure if they are wounded._

_Hearts cannot continue if they are tired._

_Hearts cannot exist without one another._

Ever get the feeling that the next person you see is the next person who's going to get punched in the nose? No? Well then you're probably not Alex. Jerking violently awake from a paralyzed state of sleep to find yourself in the middle of an open field is a ticket to assume the worst. If there was anything that the girl openly feared, it was appearing vulnerable. It was morning. With no recollection on how she ended up in an open field nor how long she'd been asleep, Alex sprang up, pain shooting through her entire body. A few dead blades of grass scratched and clawed at her bare legs. Her fists clenched, knuckles cracking loudly. Who cared if he was an enormous Dragon? She was going to kick him until he cried. Fearless of any repercussions that might befall her body upon springing to a standing position too fast, the girl jumped up. Eyes feral and teeth bared, she whipped herself around, practically searching for someone to blame.

"What?" No cave. No Dragon. No visible city smog from her standing position. "Where—." She furned furiously, finding nothing but grass and a few clumps of trees in the distance. All of which just added to her anger. Another thing she noted was that the sun was getting blinding. That signaled how close to midday it was. Alex squinted, avoiding the sun's penetrating rays. The girl was clearly blinded by her state of vexation

Then she heard it.

Giant wings beating against the wind above her prompted her to face upwards. A silhouette of a dragon lowering itself to the ground blocked out the sun. "You!" Glowering at the flying thing, "Get down here so you can explain to me what the hell you're trying to pull." More like 'So I can caustically insult you for something you may or may not have done'. Lip still curled up into a snarl, she waited like a mother ready to give her child the beating of a lifetime. Its hind legs touched down first. Two colossal, prominent horns sprouted from the top of its head, much like antlers. Jet black in color, two crimson eyes stared down at her.

This... was not Draco.

"Have you any idea of whom you are speaking to?" Before Alex was even able to process the last two words, the new Dragon swiped at her with its deadly claws, slicing right into her left side like a sack of flour. A searing pain exploded against her arm and ribs. Unable to hold back a sound of discomfort, the girl flew back, landing hard on the grass. Dreading what she would find, Alex pressed her hand against her left side. Something warm seeped between her fingers. "I shall teach you to learn your place." Alex might have paid attention, but she was more focused on the blood trying to force its way out of her wound in the most agonizing way possible. All the extrasensory information bombarding her brain kept her from noticing the steady thumping of her death approaching her. Her teeth clenched, grinding harshly. Shamefully, she curled, discovering that her motor functions were no longer working. One hand alone could not cover the deep gashes in her arm and side. The world around her spun, and slowly, a deep, aching sensation joined the pain radiating from her torso.

"No!" A monstrous roar shook the very bowels of the earth beneath her. Gasping loudly, Alex couldn't even move, but she noticed the inky Dragon halt in its steps. Something... something was above her, essentially covering her body. "What is the meaning of this?" Draco thundered, crouching defensively over the injured human. He was definitely larger than the other Dragon. And as confused as he was at there being another dragon besides him, fear and rage blinded him instead. The other must have been just as startled, for a few mere seconds later, after sizing up his opponent, he snarled and took off. Draco would have, without a second thought, chased after him. Though, alternatively, he lowered his head, curling around the motionless being. "Alex?" A red pool around her figure was a good enough answer for him. "Oh no..." He had absolutely no inkling on how to help her. "No." Draco kept his face at exactly an inch from her shoulder, fearing that the slightest touch would harm her.

"I can't move." So soft, weak, and strained. A pang in his chest and a vague sense of helplessness began growing in the back of his mind at the un-Alex-like words.

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

This was just short of impossible. There was another Dragon? With lion-like elegance, the enormous creature pounced forth to cover the girl he'd been running to defend. The occurrence halted Geoff dead in his tracks. Hand floating apprehensively above his blade, the man could not tear his eyes away from the quickly unfolding event. He allowed a small glob of spit to roll down his throat as the attacker flew off. Common sense finally kicked in at the last second. That girl very well could die from leaving her wounds unattended. The human beneath the Dragon wiggled to life for a brief second, then went alarmingly still.

It didn't take long for the sound of his running feet to call for the attention of the visually powerful Dragon looming over the motionless being. Well defined muscles shifted under tough skin as the creature turned, unwilling to place any trust in his current surroundings. "And what are your intentions?" A raging ire took root in the expression behind the accented voice. Face locked in a snarl, the Dragon cast a spiteful look upon the approaching human.

"My name is Geoff." Well, good start there. "And I swear to you, I'm not your enemy." Time was short and the Dragon wasn't convinced enough. "Fine." he breathed, "You don't have to trust me." That invitation was taken openly, "But... I can help her." At least... he thought it was a her. It was too difficult to tell from his standing point. The Dragon suddenly shook his head, as if shaking himelf awake from a disturbing nightmare.

"Right... yes—I." Geoff seized the opportune moment to run forward and kneel beside the girl. The first thing that struck him was the blood. Her attire and oddly styled hair was a close second. As gently, but as quickly, as possible, the man picked up the female and broke into a run. He wasn't going to let someone die before his eyes. Be they a stranger or a friend. Arms aching terribly, he ran to the safety of their campsite.

"Wha-What happened?" This time, Drake fully stepped out of the forest.

"Drake! Those red herbs that I used last night, could you find some more?" Without hesitation or question, the Dragon began turning. He would've been stampeding through the forest at high speed at this very second if it weren't for the, impossible to ignore, distraction that followed behind his human brother.

"Another... Dragon?" Drake stepped protectively towards Geoff, unsure of if the other Dragon was dangerous or not.

"Impossible." The other Dragon finished his thoughts for him. Drake knew he was smaller and his horns lacked the same sharp points. Although, the two bore many similarities to each other. Most noticeable was their sandy base color. Both of their electric rimmed irises stared right into the ones opposite them.

"My name is—."

"Drake!" His task reinstated in his head, the lighter colored dragon disappeared into the forest. Answers would be waiting for him when he returned.

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

"She'll be fine." Settled under a scratchy blanket with her wounds fully dressed was a brown haired female. Geoff took a glance at the dragons who seemed to be locked in a strange stare down. The larger one averted his gaze to rest upon the unconscious girl. There was no getting over how similar the two dragons were. From their jaw structure, straight down to a good number of their expressions. The older dragon did appear more hardened, in a sense.

"And what is that?" A small head bob went in the direction of the dragonslayer. His eyes were now wide and displaying slight twitches.

"Uhh, trust me." Sincerity laced his words, "You don't want to know." A grunt was his received response. Neither of the dragons appeared comfortable enough to lower themselves to the ground. or anything that resembled a relaxed position, ever since the first second they'd met. "And who are you?"

"Oh." He properly turned to face the human, "Excuse me...Geoff." The man had been so kind enough to introduce himself before. "You may call me Draco." That name his dear friend Bowen had bestowed upon him had permanently branded his heart. "I must apologize for earlier." A, surprisingly graceful, bow went alongside his introduction. Draco narrowed his eyes at the man's reaction. Geoff's own eyes had grown wide, but silence was all that could be heard. His jaw was slightly ajar at the pure shock from the words.

"Draco?" Exploded Geoff incredulously. "As in, the dragon who fought alongside the knight, Bowen, against an evil king's oppression? Sacrificing himself in order to bring an end to the cruel reign?" Now Drake had grown excited, raising his scaled neck in interest. Draco, on the other hand, had shifted back, certainly thrown off by the words.

"You know of me?" He asked smoothly, but carefully. Draco finally allowed himself to lie down. Again, as he always did, he crossed one forelimb over the other.

"Yes. We do." Drake finally spoke up. From the many tales Geoff and Mansel had told him, Draco's story was well celebrated in his heart. "But this was very long ago. Things have changed." His last word was tinged with a dark color.

"As I thought." It was sadly confirmed that Bowen and anyone during that time had long passed. An unexplainable sorrow wrapped around Draco's heart. Geoff turned to see the sun lowering itself in the sky. A whole day had gone by.

"How did you end up here?" The male bent over to collect a few sticks of firewood for the coming night.

"I truly do not know." Draco cast another glance at the younger dragon, "And I assumed I was the last." Musing to himself quietly, his eyes remained on Drake as if he were going to sprout an extra appendage at any given second. Geoff selected now to unintentionally reveal another possibly vital piece of information to Draco.

"That's what we thought about Drake. Bowen found his egg in your cave and then..." His voice trailed off as he allowed for the puzzle pieces to click together in his mind. Silence claimed the stage for some fleeting moments. "I mean, that would make him your..." Hesitant to even utter the last word, despite knowing that any dunce could decipher what went in the blank. "Your, er, son?" As the words poured out of his mouth, the two Dragons had already re-initiated their stare-down of each other. Geoff suddenly stopped questioning the striking similarities between the two creatures. One explanation would clear all suspicions of the two being related.

"But that's impossible." The younger dragon blinked rapidly, swinging his head this way and that. "I—no." Insert more awkwardness here.

"No. It is possible" Draco's words turned both Geoff and Drake's heads. Although, he appeared to be speaking more to himself in reassurance. "The Scarred one?" A small scoff followed by a chuckle softened his features. Their interaction had been brief. This was unexpected, but in no way impossible. "Yes, it is a possibility." During his musing, the younger dragon—his presumed 'son'—inched forth, eyes wide with marvel.

"Father?" He tested the foreign word on his tongue, amazed by its meaning alone. The way it slipped off the edge of his tongue was... unfamiliar. Something pinched a nerve in his heart, sending jolts of excitement through his body. Yet at the same time, both found themselves unable to exhibit any grand gestures as they were frozen to their current positions by overflowing emotion. Both simultaneously stepped towards the other. Drake flinched unknowingly and bowed his head low. In truth, he wasn't quite sure what to feel. Dreams weren't this... vivid, were they? "It is truly an honor." Though his eyes had shut, Drake practically felt the older dragon move closer to him.

Draco would've voiced an eager reply of acknowledgment, but an anticipated movement flickered in the corner of his vision. A soft moan pushed out from the lips of a person he'd almost forgotten about completely, with the bombardment of surprises in such short time. Geoff adjusted the sword on his belt and knelt down, a hand outstretched for the girl's shoulder. "Are you alright?" The words barely floated from his mouth when the girl roughly pulled her arm away from his touch, accompanying her motion with a growl.

"Don't touch me." Immediately, the man's hand was withdrawn as if he'd been trying to pet a tiger. His eyes nervously went to the dragons. While Drake returned a stare of mild horror, the elder Dragon erupted in a fit of chuckles.

"Indeed, she's perfectly fine." Draco lowered himself next to her as she rolled over, as alive as anyone could imagine. "Alex." An irritated grunt as given as a reply. Alex draped one arm over her eyes, utterly exasperated. "I—I have a son." It was most likely the excitement of the moment that drove him to relay that piece of information to the person who probably cared the least about that. Slowly, but surely, her arm slid from her eyes to reveal an appalled stare.

"What were you? _Drunk_?"

"I most certainly was not."

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><p>I OWN NOTHING. oAo<p>

Thanks for reading.


	6. Finding Answers

**Okay, since this was a really terrible chapter with no action like.. at all, I'm putting another one up tonight after my 4 pm class. Also, I like how I just learned that the setting was 984 AD. TROLOLOL. This is probably going to end up being like 15 chapters at the word count limit I'm doing. **

**Keacdragon: Ahaha LOL. I sometimes end up reading my dialogue over in everyone's voice until my roommate thinks I'm crazy. That one just seemed to fit for Draco. Thanks for reviewing! :{D**

**BO: OH yay! Well. Really, if it wasn't terribly obvious, Alex isn't much of a romance person, but I might shove it in there somewhere. I appreciate your review and input! It gives me ideas~**

**dragon scarse: YEAHDUDE. Yay, another person who actually reads this. Thank you so much for dropping by.**

**Dragons Forever: I feel its going painfully slow, but thank you! Hope you stick around for more 8D**

**THANKS EVERYONE. PLEASE TRY TO ENJOY. oAo**

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><p><em>Hearts cannot live if they do not beat.<em>

_Hearts cannot survive if they are alone._

_Hearts cannot endure if they are wounded._

_Hearts cannot continue if they are tired._

_Hearts cannot exist without one another._

Charcoal black wings sliced through defenseless air, creating a faint whistling noise that wouldn't be heard unless one listened. In the distance, cold, red eyes caught a glimpse of a magnificent castle. His landing was smooth, soft, and made no noise, save the light clicking of his claws upon the worn stone. The dragon folded his wings back, his steps placed with urgency and eagerness for the throne room. He came to a hesitant pause at the gold laced archway entrance, letting out a frustrated plume of smoke through his nostrils. Growling, the enormous creature lowered himself, deeply wishing there was a way for him to duck under without smashing straight through the intricate design intertwining along the arch. As if he were about to throw himself into a well of water, the dragon took a deep, calming breath for preparation purposes. His eyes shut as his body grew significantly smaller in size. Glorious wings that he took great pride in flattened, until they melted into a long black cloak, curling around his black boots. Deadly sharp horns retracted, falling along his newly formed head into a neat, black, ponytail. His skin, almost alabaster in color, appeared odd framing his reddish eyes.

"Ah. Brother." A brown-haired male greeted him with a much cheerier tone than Aldir really wanted to hear. Lomere, unlike his brother, spent most of his time pleasing himself with a woman's company rather than things Aldir deemed important.

"Why the Queen insists we walk around in these useless forms, I'll never understand." snarled the dragon. "Where is she? I must speak with her." Sensing his brother's unease, Lomere stood, running his hand through his dark curly hair. He was much larger and well-built than his pale strip of a brother. Aldir's edginess was becoming apparent in the lines on his face.

"What troubles you?" He waved his hand, dismissing a young woman who'd been at his side. Glad of the freedom, the poor thing scurried off as fast as she possibly could.

"There is yet another dragon by the Erves forest, aside from the one we sent the slayer after." Lomere stroked his beard thoughtfully before chuckling at his younger sibling's paranoia.

"We need not bother the Queen with this... silly matter." Aldir snapped his head to glare at his brother. Obviously, the man wasn't taking his concerns very seriously. "If it bothers you so, I will deal with the issue myself." He shot a toothy grin at the man standing in tandem to him. Aldir frowned at his brother's overconfidence in the situation. That would prove to be the end of him some day.

"This one was... different. I felt it." The dark dragon shook his head. His concern was only met with more laughter and doubt.

"Have a little faith in me, baby brother. I'll rid us of this pest and you can put your whining to an end. Such insignificant matters!" Before Aldir could even try to stop him, Lomere strolled right out of the throne room. Another snarl curled his lip at the blatant display of arrogance.

"The fool."

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

Geoff watched, in sheer interest, the interaction that went on between his three other companions. He himself remained quiet, assessing the situation he was faced with over and over.

"Get. Away. From. Me." The thin female snarled vehemently for what had to be the third time. "All of you!" Geoff had never met a woman who had a cruel enough voice to scrape against his ears. Her absurd clothing and manner of speaking already struck him as somewhat offensive. Demure and maidenly were obviously not priority or even in her mind. He knew that she was a long way from home, but still no idea just how far. Draco had spent the last couple hours calming the volatile volcano with words that didn't sound all too certain to begin with.

"Oh. Come now Alex." Said the older dragon to the young woman. The young woman in question was, for some time now, lying on the makeshift bed in which she'd woke to find blistering pain engulfing her body. All that was left to do was flop over onto her stomach, and plant her face on the softest surface locatable. In this case, much to Geoff's dismay, it was his beloved tunic. Trying to even make an attempt on its rescue might have resulted in a severed limb... possibly two or more. Draco had his face at a reasonable distance from the woman, contemplating his next move. Bravely, he nudged the side of her head with the lower section of his jaw, quickly recoiling as the girl's entire upper body jerked from the impact.

"Urgh. What are you... a cobra?" It may have been an intended insult, but, alas, the dragon couldn't wrap his head around it.

"A what?" The other two had begun directing their interest at the accusation. Alex pushed herself up from the ground, slapping her palms together to eradicate the gathered dust.

"A cobra." Pausing for a moment, "A King Cobra. The most vicious, aggressive snake to ever be born to this planet." Lowering her voice added the exact effect she wanted to bestow upon her words. "When they strike, they aim for the head." Without so much as a warning, Alex jabbed her arm out, poking it against the side of Draco's head. "Twice its size or triple its size, they fight to kill. Run as you might, it can capture you in seconds." She was able to catch Drake's eyes darting left and right, out of slight paranoia. "There is but only on possible way to vanquish one and the one bold man who tried... succeeded." Her companions sat up a little straighter at the mention of a way to demolish evil. "Now. King Cobras may be merciless assassins, but no one is safe from loving their children." All exchanged looks of confusion. "So this man sets up a giant cauldron of hot water in the middle of the woods." Fingers spread, the storyteller held her hands far apart from each other just to extend a visual on the estimated size. "And he steals one of the mother's eggs." An audible gasp from the younger dragon brought a small smile to the woman's face. As quickly as it appeared, it dropped from her visage in a flash. "The mother cobra let out a spine-tingling hiss and slithered after her child with a speed unmatched by hundreds of horses." A breath, "The man threw the cobra egg into the cauldron of boiling water." More horror and disorientation in the listener's eyes. "And the King Cobra mother _dived_ after her precious little egg, without a second thought, into the scorching water." Voice trailing off, her voice caught in her throat. Her own mother would have let her burn. "Throwing yourself into the fiery pits of hell won't stop someone else from burning." Whispering the addition, the girl gave a mental sigh.

"Alex." Draco's voice was soft, in comparison to the way they'd been at each other since they'd met.

"Mm?" Still in thought, the girl hadn't even processed him calling out her name.

"Your voice." She snapped back to life at his odd tone and the subject he was addressing.

"What about it?" The informal, snarky condescension was returning to her voice.

"It actually sounds... rather lovely. Like a Bard." Alex bristled at the dragon's words. Twice, she'd let herself go and blurt out unplanned stories that betrayed her usual pattern of speaking. Eyes narrowing with malice, she motioned with two flicks of her hand for him to lean closer. Unknowingly, he did. The woman took in as much breath as her lungs could hold... and released.

"Don't get used to it!" A large BOOM exploded in his ears, bouncing off the walls of his head in a never-ending echo. Draco grimaced, immediately throwing his head back, regretting complying with the human in the first place. Alex stood in a flurry of dust and grass, dirt flew everywhere, almost slapping into any nearby soul's face with its velocity. And, with that, she was off in a random direction.

"Where are you going?" Drake rose from the ground and stepped forward, light hues of the morning sun amplifying the splendor of his scales. He was more aware of the danger beyond their little camp, and as much as the woman fell into the list of things he feared, there was a limited amount of worry he had for her. Tromping through the grass, Alex, the exasperated human, threw her arms up as a display of frustration.

"Home! I got sucked into some nerd portal." Cringing back, Drake made a face.

"Nerd? Portal?" The terrible pronunciation of both nouns made it blatantly obvious that he had no knowledge of either.

"Are all dragons like this?" Her question flew at the wind.

"A moment, Alex." This time, Draco carried himself over to where the young woman stood, "I'm coming with you. You're not the only one who demands answers." Her bottom lip hidden by her biting down on it, Alex reluctantly accepted the excess company with a curt nod of her head. She'd learned by now that there was no point in wasting effort to yell or persuade him otherwise. The older dragon returned the nod, appreciative that they'd avoided another episodic hate fest between them. Draco then focused his hard gaze on his son and human companion. "Will you aid us?"

"Of course!" No hesitation or prior thought. Drake dug his claws into the earth beneath him, solid on his answer.

"No Drake!" Geoff, who had been observant of the three finally lent his voice, "Our goal is to get out of this place, fast." Anxiety unmistakable past the stubble on Geoff's face, he turned from the group and began gathering his belongings from the floor.

"But they need us." Interjected the massive dragon, stomping one forelimb against the earth at the unrelenting stubbornness of his companion. He stepped closer, wishing to peer into his human brother's eyes, as if that would inform him of the deep turmoil in his heart. There was a feeling resting at the pit of their shared heart, yet Drake couldn't grasp it or bring it to light. "I thought you would appreciate this sort of adventure." Discouraged, the dragon tilted his head, pushing his muzzle against Geoff's back.

"That was a long time ago." Geoff replied through clenched teeth, almost insulted that Drake would choose to play that card on him. "You know that." Added the male darkly. More than perplexed by Drake and Geoff's relationship, the other dragon-human pair couldn't help but glance at one-another.

"What you you so worried about?" Drake's well-contained anger was starting to rear its ugly head in the form of a louder tone. His lips pulled back to reveal a row of sharp daggers. "Well?" Deadly teeth bared in a snarl, the younger dragon demanded an answer. The unexplained pang in his heart plunged deeper.

"You!" The word burst forward with maximum might, turning off Drake's impending words. "Augh!" Whatever items were in his arms clattered to the floor in a complete mess. "The Queen even sent a dragonslayer after you. If they—I..." Unable to form anymore coherent syntax sentences, Geoff dropped the task altogether. Eyes suddenly in a far off place from the immediate world around him, Geoff stood without a single utterance.

A few paces away, the gears in Alex's head were turning. This aforementioned Queen gave the impression of being in control of every moving aspect going on. There was a slim chance that she was responsible for ripping Alex from her own place in time and Draco from... wherever it was he came from. She felt Draco's sharp, perpetually focused, electric eyes on her. Somehow, he knew of her busy mind. Swiping her tongue across her dry lips once, the young human walked with a purpose to the man sitting on his haunches, who hadn't been given too much identification from the others. Her arms crossed over her chest, she surveyed his defiant eyes, unruly dark hair and several scratches along his face and arms from previous battles. "This your Dragonslayer?" Both Geoff and Drake established the fact with nods. The guy had answers and Alex, above all, needed them and was going to use her infamous ways to obtain them. Brandishing the dagger she'd so kindly stolen from Geoff earlier, Alex sliced the rope around his hands in one fell swoop. Disbelievingly, Geoff ripped open his bag, wondering why her weapon was so similar to the one he had. The two dragons almost felt sympathy as Alex tore the gag away from the man's mouth and yanked dragonslayer roughly to his feet. "They're a nice bunch." Quiet as the comment was, the intimidating quality stained her eyes. "But I'm not." Added the woman just before she took hold of his right arm and proceeded to twist it at such an unnatural angle, the male had no choice but to holler and drop to his knees again.

"Damn kid, easy!" Alex felt in her bones a negotiation coming on. "Listen, I'll make a deal with you, eh?" Bingo. There it was. The girl didn't relinquish her dominant hold, but instead twisted further. A gruff voice grunted in protest, "Ey! I've valuable information." Finally, after an eternity, the grip loosened. Thankful of being free, the man clutched his released wrist, tenderly massaging it. "There's a tower just an hour's walk in that direction. It's heavily protected. Meaning, there must be something of importance in there, mm?" His gaze met with Alex's frozen visage, so instead his eyes traveled to the others. Unfortunately, there was little they could do. "Might solve your little predicament." Geoff gave a small sigh, aiming to help out the man a bit.

"A deal's a deal." As dissatisfying as that answer was.

"No." Interjected the girl. "You're taking us there. I detect any bull from you." She left the rest up to interpretation. Though the man wasn't entirely sure what the woman meant by 'bull', out of context, he assumed it meant lying.

"I've no reason to lie to you." First and foremost, she wanted to go home. Now. And this man appeared to be a viable ticket in taking her first steps. "And I doubt I'm getting much benefit out of this risk either." Death pretty much awaited him at every turn.

"Benefit? How about... your innards stays inside of your body?" A poisonous snake would have been a great deal more pleasant to keep as company than Alex.

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><p>Oh Alex. Thanks for reading!<p> 


	7. Rapunzel

**Thanks everyone who reviewed subscribed. I totes appreciate it. Anyways. Here's another chapter.**

**keacdragon: Yaay! Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Leda-sky: Buh, Thank you! I'm glad. I always worried I'm going to have fans coming after me with pitchforks for messing up a character.**

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><p><em>Hearts cannot live if they do not beat.<em>

_Hearts cannot survive if they are alone._

_Hearts cannot endure if they are wounded._

_Hearts cannot continue if they are tired._

_Hearts cannot exist without one another._

The cold morning grass seeped straight through her new clothing, dampening her frozen stomach. Like a tiger waiting for its prey, concealed within the tall grass, Alex narrowed her eyes, shifting her sights to catch a glimpse of the guards. The dragonslayer, whom Alex learned was named Khalen, scooted next to her, quiet and obedient. Any other treatment method would've ended up with a knife to the skull for sure. This Alex woman was not a being to be trifled with. Just settling her in his sights was enough to make his blood boil to the point of overflowing. No matter, this was temporary, he'd be free to slit her throat in her sleep soon. It was odd, considering Khalen never had a problem with women, nor did he ever think of raising a hand to one. But, this one, he would've raised a hand, foot, knife, sword, catapult, whatever he could get his hands on. And what was worse, she had an enormous dragon trailing after her. One that was undoubtedly larger than the sizable handful he'd come across and slayed in the past. Then again, the dragon didn't give any signs of liking the violent woman either. Two fingers snapping loudly in his face roped his attention.

"Clear." Stated the girl firmly with an air of authority that almost forced him to listen. The two jumped up and sprinted across the clearing towards the tower. Leaning against a wagon-full of hay, Alex glanced up at the tower. "Rapunzel."

"What?" Irritatedly, Khalen's discontent was evident in his voice.

"The girl that was locked in a tall tower like this one, but with just one window, for her whole life by an evil witch." In awe of the sky-scraping height of the tower and its authentic medieval structure, Alex didn't notice two heavily armored guards sauntering her way. Aware that if she was caught, he would lose his head as well, the dragonslayer yanked the girl back down to hide.

"...Why?" Ventured the man, "Foolish girl to end up in the clutches of a witch." Alex's face soured.

"Before her mother had her, the husband would steal lettuce from the witch's garden for his wife to eat." Her eyes moved about cautiously, her voice lowering to a whisper to avoid attention. "The witch caught him and demanded their firstborn as payment." Peeking over the bright yellow straws of hay, she noted another group of guards in the distance. Too far to make them out. The two exchanged a nod and made a quick dash to the back curve of the tower, pressing their backs against the cool stone. They listened intently for any nearby crunching grass.

"She died then?" Khalen concluded surely from his gathered information, being that she was locked in a tall tower with no doors and a high window.

"No." Inching along the cylindrical shape of the tower, she continued, "Rapunzel had beautiful long golden hair that reached from the top of this tower, right down to the bottom." There was no need to look to see the dragonslayer's wide eyes. "Everyday the witch would come and say, 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let your hair down." Alex paused, taking in a sharp breath as the entrance was in view... along with a dedicated guard wearing a hard stare, stationed at the entrance. "All alone in the tower, the lonely Rapunzel would sing." The woman slowly bent down to search for a stone of some sort. "And a prince heard her." A neighing shrilled out against the morning air as Alex launched the rock at a brown horse tied to a wooden post, presumably the guard's mount. Smirking as the man jogged off to tend to his startled horse, Alex motioned for her partner, at the moment, to follow.

"That isn't going to do him any good. No man can climb this sort of tower." Oh ye of little faith. The first floor of the tower was a simple square room with a fireplace parallel to the archway entrance, and a table to the left. At the table was a man, head burrowed in his arms, fast asleep, his snores louder than a motorboat. Alex cast her glance upward, feeling her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. Why the hell was the tower so high? Winding stairs seemed to whirl up endlessly, leading straight to heaven. The uneven stone steps leading to the acme of the tower were to the right. Alex advanced up the stairs, swiftly, but amazingly quietly. When she was at a safe distance from the base of the tower, she opened her mouth again.

"He saw how the witch did it, and he did the same. 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let your hair down'." She turned her head back to make sure the man was following close. "Unknowingly, she did. The two instantaneously fell in love and from then on, he visited her everyday." A gasp ripped from her lips as a third pair of footsteps were heard descending the steps. Habitually, the pair slammed themselves against the tower wall behind them, but they knew that eventually the guard would reach their coordinates. The element of surprise, fortunately, was well on their side. Khalen ascended the steps, as fast as permissible. Alex shut her eyes as she heard a cut-off yell and a muffled grunt. No other footsteps were heard. Slowly, her eyes re-opened, meeting with Khalen's darker ones.

"Then?" He demanded, setting his victim gently on the ground, careful about his noisy weapons and armor.

"The witch found out and set a trap." Stepping over the man with extra care, Alex continued up the steps, each one claiming her stamina little by little. "She cut Rapunzel's hair and tricked the prince into coming up." Her words were becoming a little breathy at this point, "When he reached the top, she pushed him down into the thorny forest below." Khalen stopped running so abruptly that Alex almost smashed straight into his back. "The Prince pulled the Witch down as well." Another guard was coming down the steps. Again, Khalen ran up, punching the man straight in the nose. This guard didn't reach for his sword, but instead opted for hand to hand combat, returning the dragonslayer's bone-crunching blow. Khalen staggered back, unprepared for the retaliation. During his fumble, the guard managed to wrap his arm around the slayer's neck, squeezing tightly. Face red from holding his breath against the pressure on his neck, Khalen smashed the guard against the wall behind him, in hopes of knocking the wind from his body. It should've worked. The guard was much tougher than he'd expected. A loud groan of pain sounded as the guard slumped to the floor. Khalen found Alex, fist clenched with a vicious glint in her eye. "Waste of time."

The change in her voice when she told a story and when she conversed normally was unthinkable. They encountered guards a total of three more times on their trek up the dizzying path of the winding stairs. Alex let her eyes move to her companion, finding them occupied with something that he apparently was focusing all of his current thoughts on. She raised an eyebrow, wondering if her guess would be right about his quandary. "The Prince survived, but was blinded by the thorns. The Witch perished." His eyes may or may not have lit up from the explanation. Finally, after running and breathing like their lungs were about to shrivel up and pop straight out of their body, the two came face to face with a door. Khalen's face paled as he scrutinized the fancily shaped keyhole smiling at him mockingly.

"In the name of—HNGH!" He cursed, looking to the girl for some kind of plan B. Her expression hadn't changed, she was proceeding with plan A.

"The blind Prince wandered for days." Brushing past the man, Alex stood before the door, a placid mask painted on. "Until he heard a beautiful singing voice." Whatever peace and serenity she'd wracked up from the last lines of her story were destroyed in a pinch as Alex pulled her foot up and smashed it against the door. Throbbing pain shot up her leg, squeezing her sensitive nerves, as the door burst open. There wasn't much in the room, aside from a bed and.. a girl... a blonde one.

"Rapunzel!" Khalen blurted. Slowly, but surely, Alex brought her palm up and smashed it against her forehead.

"Pardon?" The woman, probably a year or two older than Alex, rose to her feet, eyes bright and kind. Long, light, wavy blonde hair cascaded from her thin shoulders, down to her lower back. "Forgive me, I don't understand. My name is Avalon." Her voice was as sweet and gentle as a cooing dove. Maybe she was Rapunzel...?

"You're coming with me. Now." There was a good chance that their trail of passed out guards were regaining consciousness or sounding an alarm. Charging forward, Alex roughly took hold of Avalon's upper arm, wrinkling her neat white dress, and pulled her towards the window.

"You're mad!" Did she detect a little accent? Oh God, this was a nerd's freaking paradise!

"You're damn right I'm mad!" She wanted answers, and what did they find? A primp, delicate woman. "Here, take this." Essentially throwing Avalon at Khalen, Alex ran to the door and pushed it shut. There was to be some permanent damage to her leg for sure, judging by the pangs still plaguing it with each step she took. Kicking down the door wasn't her most brightest idea.

A loud commotion suddenly broke loose outside. The flapping of wings and a gut wrenching roar were enough to tell them just who it was. "Oh my." A familiar horned skull peeked in through the window. "Milady." Draco flapped his wings steadily to stay near the hole for a window, bowing his head at Avalon's presence. Inexplicable joy bloomed on the young woman's face at the sight of the dragon.

"My Lord." About to grab her dress and perform a perfect curtsey, Avalon was interrupted by an unknown force to her back. The force was later identified as Alex.

"If you two are quite finished." She hissed in pseudo-politeness.

"Hurry no—." Draco himself was cut off by a hazy blur of yellow smashing hard into his side, sending the dragon flying away from the human's view.

"Draco!" Alex cried out, running for the window. Outside, on the ground, the older dragon tried to regain his bearings and assess the situation. Groaning at the unprecedented attack, the dragon looked up at what had crashed into him. Above him, an enormous gold-colored dragon flexed its talons, ready for the kill.

"Well, well, my brother was correct." A grizzled voice rolled from the overly muscled dragon's throat, followed by a deep, hearty chuckle. It's glittering blue eyes glanced down the long snout of its face to size up its opponent. Draco knew that there was no reasoning to be done here. This would be a merciless fight to the death. Steadying himself on all fours, the dark auburn dragon bared his teeth to accept the challenge.

–

Alex, eyes wide, poked her head through the window and glanced down at the two dragons gearing up for combat. "We 'ave a problem." Khalen's gruff voice called from behind her. Several loud bangs came from the door, signaling the efforts being put in to break it down. If a girl pumped up on adrenaline, of twenty two years of age could do it, well-seasoned soldiers should have been through faster than her. "Can ye' fight?" The sword being handed to her received an uninviting stare.

"Uh. Does swinging it like a baseball bat count?" Hand to hand combat, she was an A+ for sure, but genuine medieval sword fighting was not down her alley. Khalen scratched his head in confusion to her query. "Er, forget it, I can fight." Her muscles tensed as the sword was placed into her hands, a watchful eye sent to Avalon. The young woman cast her innocent doe eyes on Alex, feeding her inner desire to barf. Obviously, little miss dainty here wasn't going to lift a finger in this little skirmish. She'd never... actually killed anyone before, just beaten them senseless. Murdering someone was not a casual activity done for leisure, but if this was truly an elaborate dream...

The hinges on the door finally gave way, as well as the improvised blockade Khalen had set up. Gripping the blade improperly, Alex fumbled for her dagger. Khalen had charged right into the entering crowd, slashing this way and that, with a barbaric, but surprisingly graceful precision. Flesh tore, swords clashed and armor smashed, filling the small room with battle cries and agonized screams. The dagger was finally in a suitable position in her hands. Alex pulled her arm back and let the object fly, spinning until the blade sliced into soldier's left eye, but not before whirling past Khalen's head first. "Oi!" Alarmed and relieved over narrowly avoiding death, the dragonslayer glared at his fighting companion.

"My bad." A guard came at her, pegging her as the weakest link already. Gripping the sword with both hands, Alex readied herself. The man swung his weapon in a wide arc, sluggishly enough for her reaction time to come up with a counter. As their blades made contact, the vibration waved through her entire arm. Wildly swinging the sword about, luck sided with her as the weapon struck her opponent on the side of the head. He staggered back as a trail of blood formed on his throbbing temple. With a swift kick of her boot, the man stumbled back and toppled out of the window, flailing his appendages at his imminent demise.

–

"Good God, Alex." Breathed the dragon as he noticed a figure literally soaring from the tower's opening. In a flurry of claws and scales, the two dragons took flight and initiated the battle at the same time. Sharp, defined teeth sank into Draco's scaled shoulder and twisted harshly. The older dragon ground his teeth, refusing to emit any sound of defeat. A skillful thrust of his tail sliced into the yellow dragon's soft belly, one of the weak points of a dragon. Draco had been in numerous fights in his time, and was well-versed in the art of war. A furious bellow roared from his opponent's throat as he made the wise decision to retreat back, using his wings to propel him in the proper direction. Horned tail swishing and nostrils flared, the sandy colored dragon flew after him.

"Impressive." Lomere was admittedly amused. He hadn't been locked in combat with another dragon so ferocious before. Readying himself, he sucked in a deep breath. The group of air went into his fire lung, transformed and burst forth as a raging inferno from his nostrils. It was an impossible attack to dodge, given their spacing and intensity of the flame. Draco braced himself, shutting his eyes and turning away, feeling the heat scorch his scales and burn deep into his very core. A large wing swept forward to act as a shield, cutting the fiery wave short. Through the wall of smoke, Draco torpedoed through, wings back and head lowered, ramming his pointed horns right into the bright, golden dragon's stomach. Lomere yowled and swung his curved claws, catching his target in the side of the head. The older dragon persisted, driving the other dragon into the ground, despite the throbbing pain on his temple.

What Draco failed to anticipate was the extra talon jutting out of the white-gold Dragon's wing fold. A sudden pain burst through his chest as the talon lashed out against it in one quick swipe. Gasping and staggering away, the elder dragon ventured a glance downward at his chest. The other dragon whose over-sized muscles appeared as if they would rip past his scales entirely, pulled his lip up in a devilish smirk. The bastard had slashed open the covering skin of his vulnerable heart, exposing it to attack. It was beating, loud and clear, punching against his chest with every rhythm. An underhanded way to emerge victorious in a fight.

With the malicious intent to strike Draco's heart imprinted into the younger dragon's mind, he lunged forward, claws out, eyes burning wildly with blood-thirst.


	8. It's in your blood

**Wow okay what am I doing? I seem to always ask myself this question. Sorry it has taken me such a long time to update. I'm an embarrassing person ;n;**

**Keacdragon: AHH thank you so much for reading! Poor Draco indeed. oAo**

**Shadowlite101: Thank you ouo**

**Leda-sky: omg I will have angry fans now because I never update and when I do, people are like, "Excuse u, what is this?" omg as tempting as it is to tear someone's throat out o3o Thanks so much for reading!**

**Crystal-wolf-guardian: Wow, I am so sorry. It took me a year to update. Ha. HAHA HA HA. HAHAHA. HA. Thanks for reviewing and reading C:**

**ilovedracoDH: wheee! Thanks. I'll try to be more diligent in updates.**

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><p><em>Hearts cannot live if they do not beat.<em>

_Hearts cannot survive if they are alone._

_Hearts cannot endure if they are wounded._

_Hearts cannot continue if they are tired._

_Hearts cannot exist without one another._

Oh sweet petunias, was that blood? Indeed, the sticky red substance sliding down a particular young woman's arm was dark crimson blood. The effort on Khalen's part verses Alex's fumble was a scale-tipping difference for sure. Honestly, when was the last time a bone-fide city street girl ever picked up a medieval sword? Most guesses would amount to... _never_. Dirty brawling was more her style. "Ugh. Oh for the love of Pete." A punch was thrown, sword still gripped in her hand. That single punch proved to be immensely more useful than the reckless swinging of her arms. Alex threw a combination, twisting her body around to let her opponent taste her elbow, then hard knee shortly after. Sword dangling uselessly from her hands, Alex spun with a dancer-like grace as she floored another guard with the use of her iron fists and fancy footwork.

The golden haired woman watched in mild horror at the scene unfolding before her, having scooted to the safety of the corner of the room. Frantically, as an effort to not be seen as useless, her head whipped around in search of something she could grab as a makeshift weapon. "A-Alex?" Her meek call was greeted with a predatory gaze from the young woman. "Surely you can't be..." Avalon pressed her back against the wall as Alex changed her course of battle and headed straight for the white-clad girl.

"I don't have time for your mumbling. Get over here." Scarier than the undertaker himself stomping over, Alex swooped down upon her, frightening the fragile girl beyond all reason.

–

Draco slowed his breathing, turning his side to face his opponent. If the other Dragon was aiming for his heart, there was no way he was giving him an open shot. Though, his vision wasn't allowing for much free and agile movement. Lomere's enormous frame smashed into Draco's side, claws digging into his wings. The elder dragon held back a sound of pain as he hit the ground in the worst position imaginable. One, he'd lost the use of one of his claws, seeing has it was pinned beneath him. The yellow-scaled dragon's hot breath steamed against the older dragon's face. He'd been unprepared for this fight and for that, he mentally slapped himself. But the method in which his attacker chose to achieve triumph was sneaky and lower than the lowest scum could cook up.

Then again, perhaps he was out of touch. After all, how long had he been away? Everything had drastically changed. Draco struggled against the golden-white dragon's hold, dirt and grass flying up amidst the skirmish. With the weight pressing him into the ground, the older dragon was running out of ideas as to how he'd be able to pluck himself from this predicament. He'd taken on hostile dragons twice this size with no difficulty. Perhaps he really was getting old.

"You're a worthy foe." His opponent taunted, sensing victory was secured in his claws, "Shame I must eliminate you." Snarling at the words, Draco lashed out with his tail, feeling the curved blades of his ingeniously crafted tail edge slice into the colossal creature's unfolded wing. A tortured screech shook the earth as Lomere threw his head back and let loose a current of blazing fire to the heavens.

Now he'd done it.

Without any prior warning, a hazy green blur rocketed through the sky and before either of the two dragons, locked in fierce battle, could process anything, Lomere was thrown from his dominant position and straight to the ground. Draco gasped lightly from the relieved pressure. Hastily, he returned to a standing position, eager to assess the situation.

"Drake!" Flooded with joy an excitement at the smaller, lighter hued, dragon defensively crouched beside him, Draco almost let the golden dragon slip from his mind. "Stand aside." Immediately, Drake obeyed just as a swirling fountain of hellfire shot forth, swallowing up the yellow dragon as if it were nothing. The older dragon wasted no time with a follow-up, leaping forward with ease and slamming his tail into the dazed opponent. A ferocious swipe of his sharp talons knocked the light-winged dragon back once more, Lomere stumbled, tumbling over the small knoll.

What he failed to notice was the wooden pikes rooted into the ground. And with alarming accuracy, the heavily muscled dragon fell upon the spikes. The realization ignited within him a moment too late. Five pikes in total impaled the dragon's body; one of them had managed to pierce his ever-so-fragile heart. Its final cry broke the atmosphere, a sorrowful scream of a thing damned beyond all redemption. There wouldn't be any information at all from the now deceased dragon.

"The tower." Draco's head spun, so all he could do for now was relay the information to the younger dragon as he tested his balance. He then saw Geoff's form sprinting over with a bow and arrow in hand. More soldiers had been called for.

–

"You're late." Drake almost shrank back from the window, much less confident about conducting the rescue mission. Scratch that—much less confident about saving Alex... _just Alex._

"But I wasn't even—." Cutting his friend off, Geoff came to his defense instantly.

"Not even a thank you?" Holding his hand out to the girl, the man held onto one of Drake's horns as the dragon hovered by the window. "You realize we weren't even planning on co—." Throwing a small blonde young woman at the guy shut him up right away.

Shortly after, Alex did the same with Khalen.

"Ouch. Easy." Drake sighed, knowing full well that this was Alex's handiwork. Avalon then shrieked as a flurry of arrows flew at them. The dragon-riders ducked while the dragon shielded them, enduring the ones that lodged into his impenetrable scales. Finally, Alex herself hopped from the window and onto Drake's back. "Ugh." Drake flew painfully slower, and a touch sideways at the new weight. More arrows were launched, precisely angled to fell the dragon. Geoff, hoping to assist in way possible, scooted to the side, bow and arrow drawn. Though, one arrow against many wouldn't do much.

"Where's Draco?" A chorus of screams and no more arrows shot their way was a fair enough answer.

–

Even with the moderately smooth flight and flawless landing, Drake still frowned as he watched Alex roll sluggishly from his back and half die on the ground. "You don't like heights?" A sharp glance from eyes like the devil's dissolved any more questions Drake had on his tongue. Alex had her hands to her head, massaging lightly. Yes, she was absolutely mortified of high places. The only reason she mentally built up the strength to climb that tower was because she thought there would be answers waiting. As she was bringing her heart rate back to normal, a familiar shadow passed overhead, executing a less-than-graceful landing a few feet in front of her.

"...Draco?" The dragon hobbled away from her for a minute before leaning precariously to one side. "Hey!" The group jogged after him, all of them noticing that the dragon was visibly shrinking. Draco's wings folded back into a tunic as his horns retracted into his head. His hind legs shaped into human legs while his forelimbs straightened into arms. "Oh good, human again, now I can beat your ass too." Alex huffed, prepping to handle him as harshly as she did everyone else. But, her forward motions stopped as the male turned around, his bearded face twisted in pain, accenting his wrinkles. Draco's hand immediately flew to his heart as he doubled over. In a single bound, Alex rushed to his side, catching the man before he hit the hard ground. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I can't be sure." Draco's voice was still defiant, meaning the pain was bearable and he wasn't planning to succumb to it any time soon.

"No..." Avalon, who had hardly spoken before, shook her head softly, "It's my fault." Unable to hold the man up, Alex slowly sank to her knees, letting Draco sit. She glared at the slightly older woman, demanding an explanation. "My name is Avalon." Began the girl. Geoff and Drake listened intently, as did the other two. Khalen seemed the most uncomfortable of the group. "I am a witch." As much as Alex wanted to roll her eyes, she refrained, "It is clear to all of us, the danger we face from the tyrant's rule." Avalon's gentle eyes went from one dragon to the next. "As I had hoped, you were able to defeat one." Suddenly, she shook her head, "But I digress. I've heard tales of the Dragon with only half a heart and the brave warrior who stood up to a king whose rule was unjust." She took a breath, "With every ounce of my remaining power, I summoned those two here." Eyes full of dismay and bitterness, she sighed, "But my magic isn't strong." Avalon's gaze fell on Draco, his breathing a bit less ragged than before. "Draco, when you are weak, you will become a human. You cannot overexert yourself."

"Your magic does suck." Honestly, summoning a powerful dragon that couldn't 'overwork' himself in a fight? "So he can die?"

"Yes." Voice as soft as a mouse, she looked away, "But he isn't the only one like this. Many years ago, my mentor placed such a spell on all remaining dragons." She then stared at Drake, "But it seems your heart is pure. You are left unaffected" Drake half smiled in satisfaction. "Because of what happened with Einon..."

"Say no more. I understand." Draco then stood, his condition one hundred percent recovered.

"Excuse you." Alex interjected. "That doesn't explain why I'm here." Everyone tensed, turning to Avalon.

"As I said, the spell was meant to call upon Draco and Bowen." This close. She was this close to getting her pretty little neck wrung for these vague answers.

"Do I look like Bowen to you?" Hissed the irritated girl.

"If you are not him, you must be a... descendant." Everyone, with wide eyes, snapped their heads to stare at Alex in utter and complete disbelief. The girl herself inhaled sharply as if someone had stabbed her between the ribs with an incredible force. "Oh, what have I done?" Bringing her delicate fingers to her head, Avalon was unable to conceal her worry. Though, while the witch was ridden with dismay, an odd look had come over Draco's eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that." Alex commanded firmly.

"Like what?" He innocently blinked in response.

"Like I'm your lost dog or something."


End file.
